bluemoon32
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Stones usually takes awhile ( after injury) to get up to speed, Pep throwing him in yesterday was madness, considering how little he's played
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5 | John Stones - 2023/24
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AshtonBlueMooner
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Pep knows he made a mistake with his team selection and tactics. Putting two players, that have had niggling injuries restricting their game time for the last month, was a major gamble, it backfired and was a huge factor in us losing the game. John is coming towards the back end of his career, that will be accelerated if he continues playing and getting injured whilst on International duty. I hope he sees sense, calls time on England, giving him more time with his family and hopefully a thirst to get himself seriously fit for his final 3 or 4 years with us. Pep trusts him for a reason, he’s an outstanding footballer when he’s fully fit. Playing any team when you’re only 80 or 90% at your peak is always going to cause problems and when you’re partnered with Ake, a player that is also at 80-90%, you then have a recipe for the disaster class that we had in the first half yesterday. I hope he stays and we see 2022-23 John boy again next season.
meeesh
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Plays 1 out of 3 every year, been great, but can't get a run of games before something else happening, another player whose at the beginning of the end at City now
Kippax Street 1880
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Ultimatum time. If he wants to keep playing international football he has to go this Summer. He took the piss playing those 2 friendlies and it ruined the end of his season with City. Up to him whether he wants to finish the prime of his career winning trophies with City or get 20 more international caps and go back to Everton.
Pep didnt trust him at all for the run in and then starts him for the cup final. was probably more emotional decision than tactical.
bit like Sterling started the CL final but none of Fernandinho and Rodri in midfield vs Chelsea.
bit like Sterling started the CL final but none of Fernandinho and Rodri in midfield vs Chelsea.
One reason I'd like to see England win something is so that John can hang up his international boots with a trophy to his name.
He needs regular game time but he can't play 3 matches a week plus pointless mid-season international friendlies.
Needs to be wrapped in cotton wool, with a tailored training and recovery regime, to keep him fighting fit to be able to play once every week or two for the whole season, in the matches where he'll be most effective.
And we need to have a plan to be at our best without him as well as with him. I love Stonesy and would have him at City until he retires, but his body can't withstand us needing him in every match.
He needs regular game time but he can't play 3 matches a week plus pointless mid-season international friendlies.
Needs to be wrapped in cotton wool, with a tailored training and recovery regime, to keep him fighting fit to be able to play once every week or two for the whole season, in the matches where he'll be most effective.
And we need to have a plan to be at our best without him as well as with him. I love Stonesy and would have him at City until he retires, but his body can't withstand us needing him in every match.
At his best, of course he does. I’d have him ahead of all our other centre halves. Last season, I reckon he was just about the best CB in the world.Its embarrassing what people are writing here.
He brings more than just “stepping into midfield” .
He has been a key player for most of the trophy's which you have been celebrating since Pep.
It no wonder he says he has fallen out of love a bit with football is it.
But this season has been a struggle, and he’s obviously nowhere near match fit/match sharp.
As a tactical move, I could well understand him coming in yesterday. But it was a strange one to bring him in as a straight swap for Dias / Akanji.
Trojan1962
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A fully fit Stones is a world class player. Unfortunately he can’t seem to play more than 4 or 5 games in a row before he gets injured again. Playing Him from the start yesterday wasn’t fair to him.
balotellishaircut
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The problem with Stones is every time he gets fit for City he gets injured under waistcoat like last time, he needs to put his club career first, but that maybe too late now.
A fully fit Stones is a world class player. Unfortunately he can’t seem to play more than 4 or 5 games in a row before he gets injured again. Playing Him from the start yesterday wasn’t fair to him.
I am pretty sure Pep would have said to him in the week "I want to play you, but are you fit and ready, how do you feel?"
From there on in John should have said to him he wasn't ready, thanks for the offer, but the team comes first.
Both to blame for me.
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